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Blind Guide
A Blind Guide to Normal
Richie “Ryder” Raymond has a gift. He can find the punchline in any situation, even in his limited vision and prosthetic eye. During the past year at Addison School for the Blind, Ryder’s quick wit earned the respect and friendship of his classmates. Heading to mainstream, or “normal,” school for eighth grade is going to be awesome.
After all, what’s not to like? At Addison, Ryder was everyone’s favorite person. He could make anyone laugh, especially his best friend Alice. So long as he can be first to make all of the one-eyed jokes, Ryder is sure he’ll fit in just as quick at Papuaville Middle School, home of the Fighting Guinea Pigs. But Alice warns him fitting in might not be as easy as he thinks.
Turns out, Alice was right. In just the first hour of “normal” school, Ryder is attacked by General MacCathur II (aka, Gramps’s cat), causes his bio teacher to pass out cold, makes an enemy out town hero Max, and falls for Jocelyn, the fierce girl next door who happens to be Max’s girlfriend. On top of that, Ryder struggles to hold onto his dignity in the face of students’ pity and Gramps’s non-stop practical jokes.
Ryder quickly sees the only thing worse than explaining a joke is being the punchline. But with help from his stuck-in-the-70s Gramps and encouragement from Alice, Ryder finds the strength to not only fight back, but to make peace.
This exciting sequel to A Blind Guide to Stinkville weaves humor, recovery and second chances into an unforgettable story, with characters who will hook you from page one.
After all, what’s not to like? At Addison, Ryder was everyone’s favorite person. He could make anyone laugh, especially his best friend Alice. So long as he can be first to make all of the one-eyed jokes, Ryder is sure he’ll fit in just as quick at Papuaville Middle School, home of the Fighting Guinea Pigs. But Alice warns him fitting in might not be as easy as he thinks.
Turns out, Alice was right. In just the first hour of “normal” school, Ryder is attacked by General MacCathur II (aka, Gramps’s cat), causes his bio teacher to pass out cold, makes an enemy out town hero Max, and falls for Jocelyn, the fierce girl next door who happens to be Max’s girlfriend. On top of that, Ryder struggles to hold onto his dignity in the face of students’ pity and Gramps’s non-stop practical jokes.
Ryder quickly sees the only thing worse than explaining a joke is being the punchline. But with help from his stuck-in-the-70s Gramps and encouragement from Alice, Ryder finds the strength to not only fight back, but to make peace.
This exciting sequel to A Blind Guide to Stinkville weaves humor, recovery and second chances into an unforgettable story, with characters who will hook you from page one.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published October 11, 2016
8 people are currently reading
322 people want to read
About the author
Beth Vrabel
17 books154 followersBeth Vrabel is the author of Cyblis-nominated Caleb and Kit, ILA award-winning A Blind Guide to Stinkville, JLG-selection A Blind Guide to Normal, and The Reckless Club and Pack of Dorks series. She can't clap to the beat nor be trusted near Nutella. Beth loves traveling around the country to meet with young readers and writers, sharing a message of grit, resiliency and heart.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
August 28, 2017
This book totally made me ugly sob face cry at certain points and smile ear to year laugh at certain other points!!! Beth Vrabel (shaking my fist) you did it to me again!!! Definitely one of my favorite 4th grade to 8th grade middle grade school genre authors!!! All her thought provoking and emotional topic fiction titles are enjoyable reads for high school years teens and adults as well.
Language: No profanity.
Sensuality: One G rated light quick kiss between two 8th graders.
Source: My personal purchased library.
Language: No profanity.
Sensuality: One G rated light quick kiss between two 8th graders.
Source: My personal purchased library.
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March 27, 2017A blind guide to normal was a good book about Richie Ryder Raymond. He has a lot of stuff going on at the same time. Karate, moving, school drama. His parents are both scientists and he doesn't get to see them a lot.
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April 18, 2017Very real and good. I loved the way Beth Vrabel wrote this book. It really put me in the moment that the characters were in.
September 8, 2018
Ok. This book. Was. So. Funny! Warning you though, it's super PUNNY!! While this book is funny it also has its serious side as well, but I'm still cracking up whenever I see this book because of the puns! ;) I recommend if you're thinking about reading this that you read the prequel (A Blind Guide to Stinkville) first. I really like this book because it's a story about a real issue with a character who is a very good sport about this issue (not gonna tell you what it is because it's a spoiler meh). Also, if you liked these "Blind Guide" books you should check out the "pack of dorks" series! Get it, CHECK OUT... so punny... ;) (ok not really that was bad)
December 2, 2016
This review is also available on my blog, Read Till Dawn.
I always meant to read A Blind Guide to Stinkville. I even went so far as to check it out from the library one time about a year ago, but then life happened and I had to turn it back in before I got around to reading it. When I got an email from Sky Pony Press asking whether I'd like to review its sequel/companion, A Blind Guide to Normal, I figured this was my chance to read a book at least connected to Stinkville. I went in with very high hopes.
Coming out of the book I'm a little less enthusiastic. I liked it, sure, but I just didn't really connect with the characters the way everyone else seemed to with Stinkville. I could see and understand the pain Ryder buried deep inside his chest, the way he shoved aside his fear and anger and insecurity and masked it with corny jokes. I saw that, but I still didn't really like him. Ryder treats his grandfather like a laughingstock throughout most of the book, even though the old man is still mourning the death of his wife; he makes new friends in school but treats them absolutely horribly; he does some very insensitive things, then never really apologizes for them. To be honest, I feel bad for Ryder–I really do. But I feel even worse for Jocelyn and Max and Gramps.
And really, Jocelyn and Max and Gramps are the main reason I liked Normal. Jocelyn was probably my favorite character, just because I loved the glimpses we got of her past and how she fought to move forward. Max is, basically, an ideal boyfriend. I loved him throughout the book, even when he was going head-to-head with Ryder. And Gramps? Gramps is just straight-up awesome. When he tells the story of his past, it's so touching to see how much in love he still is with his wife–even though she's been gone for around thirty years. Ryder was too busy being embarrased by his grandfather's old-fashioned sense of style to realize how sweet and cool the old man really was.
Do I recommend A Blind Guide to Normal? Meh. I suppose if you want to read it I'm not going to warn you off it, it really is funny in some parts and meaningful in others. Just go in knowing that Ryder isn't the nicest person in the world, and that there is way too much romantic angst in this book about a bunch of thirteen-year-olds. If you do/have read it, definitely let me know what you think! In the meantime, I think I'm going to send my copy off to my local Little Free Library.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I always meant to read A Blind Guide to Stinkville. I even went so far as to check it out from the library one time about a year ago, but then life happened and I had to turn it back in before I got around to reading it. When I got an email from Sky Pony Press asking whether I'd like to review its sequel/companion, A Blind Guide to Normal, I figured this was my chance to read a book at least connected to Stinkville. I went in with very high hopes.
Coming out of the book I'm a little less enthusiastic. I liked it, sure, but I just didn't really connect with the characters the way everyone else seemed to with Stinkville. I could see and understand the pain Ryder buried deep inside his chest, the way he shoved aside his fear and anger and insecurity and masked it with corny jokes. I saw that, but I still didn't really like him. Ryder treats his grandfather like a laughingstock throughout most of the book, even though the old man is still mourning the death of his wife; he makes new friends in school but treats them absolutely horribly; he does some very insensitive things, then never really apologizes for them. To be honest, I feel bad for Ryder–I really do. But I feel even worse for Jocelyn and Max and Gramps.
And really, Jocelyn and Max and Gramps are the main reason I liked Normal. Jocelyn was probably my favorite character, just because I loved the glimpses we got of her past and how she fought to move forward. Max is, basically, an ideal boyfriend. I loved him throughout the book, even when he was going head-to-head with Ryder. And Gramps? Gramps is just straight-up awesome. When he tells the story of his past, it's so touching to see how much in love he still is with his wife–even though she's been gone for around thirty years. Ryder was too busy being embarrased by his grandfather's old-fashioned sense of style to realize how sweet and cool the old man really was.
Do I recommend A Blind Guide to Normal? Meh. I suppose if you want to read it I'm not going to warn you off it, it really is funny in some parts and meaningful in others. Just go in knowing that Ryder isn't the nicest person in the world, and that there is way too much romantic angst in this book about a bunch of thirteen-year-olds. If you do/have read it, definitely let me know what you think! In the meantime, I think I'm going to send my copy off to my local Little Free Library.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 21, 2017
Original de: El Blog del Gato - El Extraño Gato del Cuento
En este libro Ryder tiene que enfrentarse a ser especial por razones diferentes a las que él está acostumbrado. Beth Vrabel lo hace de una manera entretenida de leer, dándole dignidad a sus personajes, sin la necesidad de irse al extremo melodramático.
A Blind Guide to Normal es divertido, un poco ridículo a veces, es el tipo de libro que nos deberían dar en el colegio, un libro que normalice la discapacidad, que nos muestre tanto a adultos y niños como el que una persona sea diferente y haga las cosas de manera diferente, no lo hace más o menos.
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En este libro Ryder tiene que enfrentarse a ser especial por razones diferentes a las que él está acostumbrado. Beth Vrabel lo hace de una manera entretenida de leer, dándole dignidad a sus personajes, sin la necesidad de irse al extremo melodramático.
A Blind Guide to Normal es divertido, un poco ridículo a veces, es el tipo de libro que nos deberían dar en el colegio, un libro que normalice la discapacidad, que nos muestre tanto a adultos y niños como el que una persona sea diferente y haga las cosas de manera diferente, no lo hace más o menos.
Twitter • Tumblr • Tvtime • Goodreads • Instagram • Blog
February 25, 2023
At first, I just wasn't liking this book. I guess the humor, all the puns, were just too much and it was annoying. I didn't love the cat and getting situated at Grandpa's and I wasn't even going to continue reading the book. But after about four or five chapters, I grew to appreciate the characters and I ended up really enjoying this book. I'm so glad I gave it another try. So much so, that I can't wait to read the next book, "A Blind Guide to Stinkville." I was looking for books about blind kids and came across this, and then the author, Beth, was at a Children's Lit Fest, and my daughter had the pleasure of attending her session, so we came home and checked out a bunch of her books, this one included. Now I feel silly for thinking I wasn't even going to read this book!
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March 21, 2017I think it was a good book about Ryder who left school/town thinking it would be better but turned out he missed it.
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April 24, 2017I recommend this book because it is funny and meaningful. It is meaningful because it is saying that anyone can do anything they want if they put there minds to it.
March 12, 2024
Public library copy
Ryder and his mother move in with his paternal grandfather in the D.C. area when his father needs to spend time studying wildlife out west and his mother needs to work in the area. For Ryder, the change involves not only living in his smart aleck grandfather's 1970s shag infested house, but attending a public school instead of a private one. This is difficult because Ryder lost an eye to cancer and has the challenges associated with reduced vision. It doesn't help that Ryder manages to make a really friendly, popular kid, Max, angry on the first day. Max is good friends with Ryder's neighbor, Jocelyn, who tries to help Ryder out. Ryder's mother is buys, and his grandfather is just annoying. He misses his father, as well as his friend Alice (who was the main character in A Blind Guide to Stinkville). Ryder takes up martial arts, learns things about his grandfather, and manages to settle in to life at his new school.
Strengths: I like that this can be read independently of A Blind Guide to Stinkville, and the insights into what it would be like to have survived childhood cancer and to maneuver through the world with impaired vision are interesting and valuable. The tone of this is hopeful despite all of the sadness. There are also some funny moments. Ryder is a sympathetic character, and I enjoyed his grandfather, too-- signing Ryder up for Quilting was an inspired, if slightly evil, move.
Mr. Buxton also really liked this one, and donated his copy to our school library!
Weaknesses: Could have done without so much information about Ryder's grandfather's grief over his wife's death when Ryder's father was born, and also Jocelyn and Max's grief and guilt over the death of her brother. Without that, the book would have been absolutely fantastic.
What I really think: Will buy a copy even though the first book doesn't circulate much. The author's note about why she wrote these is touching, her research is good, and these books fill a gap in middle grade literature.
Ryder and his mother move in with his paternal grandfather in the D.C. area when his father needs to spend time studying wildlife out west and his mother needs to work in the area. For Ryder, the change involves not only living in his smart aleck grandfather's 1970s shag infested house, but attending a public school instead of a private one. This is difficult because Ryder lost an eye to cancer and has the challenges associated with reduced vision. It doesn't help that Ryder manages to make a really friendly, popular kid, Max, angry on the first day. Max is good friends with Ryder's neighbor, Jocelyn, who tries to help Ryder out. Ryder's mother is buys, and his grandfather is just annoying. He misses his father, as well as his friend Alice (who was the main character in A Blind Guide to Stinkville). Ryder takes up martial arts, learns things about his grandfather, and manages to settle in to life at his new school.
Strengths: I like that this can be read independently of A Blind Guide to Stinkville, and the insights into what it would be like to have survived childhood cancer and to maneuver through the world with impaired vision are interesting and valuable. The tone of this is hopeful despite all of the sadness. There are also some funny moments. Ryder is a sympathetic character, and I enjoyed his grandfather, too-- signing Ryder up for Quilting was an inspired, if slightly evil, move.
Mr. Buxton also really liked this one, and donated his copy to our school library!
Weaknesses: Could have done without so much information about Ryder's grandfather's grief over his wife's death when Ryder's father was born, and also Jocelyn and Max's grief and guilt over the death of her brother. Without that, the book would have been absolutely fantastic.
What I really think: Will buy a copy even though the first book doesn't circulate much. The author's note about why she wrote these is touching, her research is good, and these books fill a gap in middle grade literature.
March 9, 2017
IN the book "A Blind Guide to Normal," Beth Vrabel did a really good job at writing this book. My favorite part was the whole thing really because when Ryder first moved to his new school/home, I could sort of connect because my family has had to move a lot because of money problems. But then again I couldn't really connect and that also attracted me because I was interested on how it would make someone feel and what it would be like to leave everything and start over. Like when Ryder was saying goodbye to everyone on his last day, I was wondering how that would feel to leave his best friend. Overall this book was really good and I loved reading about Ryder's journey.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2017
Real and hilarious at times. A+!
Very down-to-earth choice of words. Feelings seldom came across as fake. Held my attention throughout the book. Ending was a bit bland but I guess that's how real life goes too, huh! Great read!!
Very down-to-earth choice of words. Feelings seldom came across as fake. Held my attention throughout the book. Ending was a bit bland but I guess that's how real life goes too, huh! Great read!!
April 10, 2017
Really good book! I really liked the karate aspect(duh) and didn't expect the romance, but it helped add to the story.
March 9, 2017
Their may be something I have spoiled but it's not much. I thought this book was really good. Something that made me feel bad was, Ryder and how he was "getting" along with other kids at his new school. Ryder was being himself and didn't really know what he was doing and he then started a fight with a peer. Also Ryder has a prosthetic eye. He has been attending Addison School for blind kids. Ryder made lot's of friends at Addison School one of them is Alice, they became close and after Ryder got "transported" from the blind school he had a rough start in making new friends and this girl caught his eye and they're neighbors. Ryder want's to get close with this "mystery" girl.
November 28, 2016
In my review of Beth Vrabel's previously published middle grade novel A Blind Guide to Stinkville, I mentioned that the author's work is one part of why children's lit has been soaring this year. Now, with A Blind Guide Normal, my total of Vrabel titles read in 2016 comes to four (!), each one going from strength to strength, tackling different, challenging questions and topics, with this particular title a seriously poignant and surprising read.
At the heart of the story we have our narrator and protagonist Richie Ryder Raymond. Ryder is a character who is first introduced in A Blind Guide to Stinkville; we meet him there briefly as a new friend of that story's main character, Alice Confrey. In A Blind Guide to Normal, we meet again with Ryder as he is starting out on a mammoth-sized change in his life: not only moving to a new state and staying with his slightly estranged Gramps, but also trying out 'normal' public school (i.e. being out of a specialized school for the blind). It is during the early stages of this big upheaval that Ryder discovers just how hard, cringe-inducingly awkward, strange (...and maybe, possibly wonderful?) these changes are going to be...
One major component of the story is Ryder's navigation through the complicated and terrifying maze of school machinations, friends and foes, and falling a little bit in love with a neighbor. The other major component of the story- and so wonderfully drawn-out- involves Ryder's relationship with his oft-absent parents, his unfamiliar-to-him grandfather, as well as Ryder's own personal memories of battling cancer, being in hospital, and his recovery. Vrabel, as she did with Alice's character in A Blind Guide to Stinkville, just gets- breathes- and inhabits young narrative voice. Ryder is yet another terrific character: self-deprecating, sarcastic; full of aches and knots he wants to but can't quite untie; full of complicated emotions and feelings about his family and those around him, and capable of making major mistakes. I especially loved how Vrabel portrays and develops Ryder's up-and-down relationship with his grandpa- there are some big, fun, laugh-out-loud and heartache-inducing revelations there.
Overall, A Blind Guide to Normal is yet another meaningful, heartfelt and strongly written children's fiction title from Beth Vrabel. While you do not necessarily have to have read A Blind Guide to Stinkville to understand or appreciate this sequel, I would still recommend as the book and characters (you get to meet Alice and her family!) are simply wonderful. Any readers who have already read and liked Beth Vrabel's previous titles, or those who enjoy the work of authors such as Lisa Graff, Leslie Connor, Kat Yeh or Donna Gephart might especially love A Blind Guide to Normal.
I received a copy of this title courtesy of Sky Pony Press/Skyhorse Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.
February 19, 2018
Richie "Ryder" Raymond is the popular kid at his school for the blind- always making jokes, showing his boyish charm. He has one artificial eye, "Artie", and low vision in the other. When the opportunity presents for him to attend "normal" school outside of Washington D.C., Ryder jumps at the chance to climb a whole new ladder of popularity. In order to do this, though, he and his mom have to move in with his eccentric Gramps, who is stuck in the 1970's and proud of it. Things don't start out as planned, however, when Ryder mistakenly gets the most popular guy in school busted for bullying, crushes on his girlfriend, and causes his teacher to pass out when she meets "Artie." As the book progresses, Ryder learns a lot about himself and his family around him- like the fact that he needs to deal with the fact that he had cancer.
November 30, 2016
Taking place in Beth Vrabel’s Blind Guide universe, readers get to hang out with Ryder, also known as Richie Raymond, in Beth Vrabel’s A Blind Guide to Normal. Ryder is leaving Addison, the school for the blind we were introduced to in A Blind Guide to Stinkville, to head to “normal” school for eighth grade. The thing is, at Addison, Richie was the Big Man on Campus. With his jokes about his prosthetic eye and ability to find a witty comeback for every situation, he was the King of the Hill at Addison. In a mainstream school, it’s starting all over again – and to add to the chaos, he and his mom are moving in with his grandfather while his dad is off studying buffalo. Gramps has a very strange sense of humor, and his cat, General MacCathur, can’t stand him. On his first day of school, Ryder finds himself enrolled in a Quilting class (thanks, Grandpa!), making his bio teacher pass out, and putting himself at odds with the town hero, Max. Forget about fitting in – can Ryder get through the school year as the school punchline? He’ll need some help from his best friend Alice and, unbelievably enough, Gramps, to find out.
Less of a sequel and more of a companion to Blind Guide to Stinkville, Blind Guide to Normal is every bit as great to read as any Beth Vrabel book. Yes, I’m a Vrabel fangirl, and with good reason: she creates characters that I love. They tend to have a sarcastically upbeat outlook, which I can appreciate, and so do many of the kids I talk to in a given day. Her villain here isn’t even a villain, it’s just someone who Max starts off on the wrong foot with, and Max’s gift to see himself descending into car wreck territory but not being able to stop it is so refreshingly normal – how many times have you just not been able to stop talking when you know you’re just making things worse? – that you’ll laugh with embarrassed relief that you’re not alone. I was happy to see Alice again; her FaceTime conversations with Ryder provide a nice, familiar anchor for both Ryder and us readers. His relationship with his grandfather is a great subplot that I hope reaches kids who just don’t get their own grandparents, who they may see as weird or old-fashioned.
I hope Beth Vrabel finds more ways to bring us back to this group of friends. There’s a lot of great diversity in kid lit these days, and Vrabel’s ability to address disability with the suppressed emotion that spills over into a Don Rickles-like wit adds a spark to the expanding dialogue. Get this one and give it to your Blind Guide to Stinkville readers, sure, but also hand this one to your Wimpy Kid readers and tell them that Ryder and Greg would, in the ultimate literary multiverse, probably get along just fine.
Less of a sequel and more of a companion to Blind Guide to Stinkville, Blind Guide to Normal is every bit as great to read as any Beth Vrabel book. Yes, I’m a Vrabel fangirl, and with good reason: she creates characters that I love. They tend to have a sarcastically upbeat outlook, which I can appreciate, and so do many of the kids I talk to in a given day. Her villain here isn’t even a villain, it’s just someone who Max starts off on the wrong foot with, and Max’s gift to see himself descending into car wreck territory but not being able to stop it is so refreshingly normal – how many times have you just not been able to stop talking when you know you’re just making things worse? – that you’ll laugh with embarrassed relief that you’re not alone. I was happy to see Alice again; her FaceTime conversations with Ryder provide a nice, familiar anchor for both Ryder and us readers. His relationship with his grandfather is a great subplot that I hope reaches kids who just don’t get their own grandparents, who they may see as weird or old-fashioned.
I hope Beth Vrabel finds more ways to bring us back to this group of friends. There’s a lot of great diversity in kid lit these days, and Vrabel’s ability to address disability with the suppressed emotion that spills over into a Don Rickles-like wit adds a spark to the expanding dialogue. Get this one and give it to your Blind Guide to Stinkville readers, sure, but also hand this one to your Wimpy Kid readers and tell them that Ryder and Greg would, in the ultimate literary multiverse, probably get along just fine.
February 6, 2017
4.5
A Blind Guide to Normal is a realistically rich tale about struggling with emotions and how to cope with the things we have to live with. It is an adventure of emotions, one's self, and how to cope, with characters that will keep you laughing even when you want to cry.
Ryder is fourteen and he wants to be normal, so he convinces his parents to let him go to a normal public school instead of a school for the blind. Plans don't always work out how you expect them to, but is it always such a bad thing? Since nothing really happened as he expected, Ryder was forced to start feeling his anger and frustration about the unfairness of his situation. He lashed out and broke down, did some pretty bad things, and figured out a way to cope. This is his journey, this is how he heals. He isn't always the best person and he doesn't always want to deal with things, and this just makes his character more real and flawed. It was easy to connect with his emotions, though not his situation, which allowed us to really delve into his character so we could understand just how deep his pain ran. Ryder's story is compelling, eye-opening, and worth reading.
Jocelyn is also a strong character. Despite her guilt and torment, she fights back and makes sure to laugh and smile. She is fierce, brave, and also flawed. I love her character, but she makes mistakes like the rest of us and she doesn't always listen to others because she feels like they treat her like she's glass and she hates it. She learns how to cope with everything troubling her as well, and the growth of the characters is truly wonderful.
The writing is simple but realistic, which makes it easy to fall into the story and understand the characters. You won't be able to help yourself from falling in love with Ryder, the sweet kid who refuses to do anything but joke around so no one has to feel bad. Simple in writing but rich in emotion.
Overall, this is a lovely book I definitely recommend!
*A huge thanks to the publisher for providing me with free copy!
A Blind Guide to Normal is a realistically rich tale about struggling with emotions and how to cope with the things we have to live with. It is an adventure of emotions, one's self, and how to cope, with characters that will keep you laughing even when you want to cry.
Ryder is fourteen and he wants to be normal, so he convinces his parents to let him go to a normal public school instead of a school for the blind. Plans don't always work out how you expect them to, but is it always such a bad thing? Since nothing really happened as he expected, Ryder was forced to start feeling his anger and frustration about the unfairness of his situation. He lashed out and broke down, did some pretty bad things, and figured out a way to cope. This is his journey, this is how he heals. He isn't always the best person and he doesn't always want to deal with things, and this just makes his character more real and flawed. It was easy to connect with his emotions, though not his situation, which allowed us to really delve into his character so we could understand just how deep his pain ran. Ryder's story is compelling, eye-opening, and worth reading.
Jocelyn is also a strong character. Despite her guilt and torment, she fights back and makes sure to laugh and smile. She is fierce, brave, and also flawed. I love her character, but she makes mistakes like the rest of us and she doesn't always listen to others because she feels like they treat her like she's glass and she hates it. She learns how to cope with everything troubling her as well, and the growth of the characters is truly wonderful.
The writing is simple but realistic, which makes it easy to fall into the story and understand the characters. You won't be able to help yourself from falling in love with Ryder, the sweet kid who refuses to do anything but joke around so no one has to feel bad. Simple in writing but rich in emotion.
Overall, this is a lovely book I definitely recommend!
*A huge thanks to the publisher for providing me with free copy!
November 10, 2016
This book is a companion novel to A Blind Guide to Stinkville, but it can stand on its own. Ryder and his mom are moving in with his grandpa. His dad has an assignment to study bison in Alaska and his mom is doing research on bugs in Washington, DC. Grandpa lives nearby and even though Grandpa and Dad don't really communicate it seems best to live with him. Not only is Ryder moving to a new place to live with someone he barely knows he is also going to public school for the first time in years. When Ryder was seven he was diagnosed with cancer and lost an eye. He has been attending Addison School for the Blind ever since.
Things don't start out that great for Ryder. His grandpa is stuck in a time warp from the 1970s. His house, his furniture, his clothes and even his car have not been updated since Grandma died when Dad was born. Ryder also develops a crush on the neighbor Jocelyn and manages to make an enemy of the nicest boy in school, who also happens to be Jocelyn's beau. Ryder uses humor and bad puns to deflect attention from himself and this doesn't go over quite as well at his new school as it did at Addison.
This is a book about acceptance and grief. Each of the main characters is grieving for something or someone. Ryder is grieving for his health. Grandpa is grieving for the love of his life. Dad is grieving for the parents he never really knew. Jocelyn is grieving the death of her brother. Max is grieving the loss of his friend. They all try to hide their grief and not deal with it in different ways, but they also all start on a path of acceptance and start moving on during the course of the book. I don't think I liked this as well as Stinkville, but it was a fantastic read. Vrabel really knows how to capture the spirit of middle school kids.
Things don't start out that great for Ryder. His grandpa is stuck in a time warp from the 1970s. His house, his furniture, his clothes and even his car have not been updated since Grandma died when Dad was born. Ryder also develops a crush on the neighbor Jocelyn and manages to make an enemy of the nicest boy in school, who also happens to be Jocelyn's beau. Ryder uses humor and bad puns to deflect attention from himself and this doesn't go over quite as well at his new school as it did at Addison.
This is a book about acceptance and grief. Each of the main characters is grieving for something or someone. Ryder is grieving for his health. Grandpa is grieving for the love of his life. Dad is grieving for the parents he never really knew. Jocelyn is grieving the death of her brother. Max is grieving the loss of his friend. They all try to hide their grief and not deal with it in different ways, but they also all start on a path of acceptance and start moving on during the course of the book. I don't think I liked this as well as Stinkville, but it was a fantastic read. Vrabel really knows how to capture the spirit of middle school kids.
September 17, 2017
I didn't want this book to end! This book is for kids who love Wonder and Out of My Mind. I love how layered and complicated each of Vrabel's characters are. I rooted for every single one of them.
December 15, 2017
My name is Ryder, and I have my eye on you, ha ha! My right eye is fake, and some people freak when I pop it out (like my homeroom teacher!) I'm starting eighth grade at a new school, I'm living with my wacky grandfather, and my worst handicap might be myself. Things I'm thinking sometimes jump out of my mouth. On the plus side, Jocelyn, the girl next door, is gorgeous, but her boyfriend, Max, is the most popular, perfect kid at school. That doesn't stop me from hating him. I don't know why I feel so angry all the time, but my great sense of humor covers it up, right? I now know how Jocelyn's brother died and why Max is always protecting her. My grandpa thinks taking karate lessons from Max's dad will be great for me, but I'm not so sure. I'm enjoying the lessons, but my feelings are even more mixed up seeing Jocelyn and Max there too.
I didn't read the first book, but "A Blind Guide to Normal" was fantastic! Ryder has a wacky sense of humor (he calls his fake eye Artie), but I enjoyed how he tried to work through his issues. Middle school kids, actually everyone else too, have issues and feelings that confuse them. Ryder doesn't understand why he's so angry, but he realizes Jocelyn has problems too. Even grandpa has problems he's been dealing with since Ryder's dad was born, and Max reveals his own demons at the end. Ryder's not sure how to deal with his feelings for Jocelyn. He hates seeing her with Max, but Ryder isn't sure what to do when she is turns some kindness his way. The whole story is about Ryder, and his character's personality carries all of the entertainment in the plot. I highly recommend you check out this book, literally and figuratively!
I didn't read the first book, but "A Blind Guide to Normal" was fantastic! Ryder has a wacky sense of humor (he calls his fake eye Artie), but I enjoyed how he tried to work through his issues. Middle school kids, actually everyone else too, have issues and feelings that confuse them. Ryder doesn't understand why he's so angry, but he realizes Jocelyn has problems too. Even grandpa has problems he's been dealing with since Ryder's dad was born, and Max reveals his own demons at the end. Ryder's not sure how to deal with his feelings for Jocelyn. He hates seeing her with Max, but Ryder isn't sure what to do when she is turns some kindness his way. The whole story is about Ryder, and his character's personality carries all of the entertainment in the plot. I highly recommend you check out this book, literally and figuratively!
February 6, 2017
a nice fun story. had some good laughs. nice story telling style.
September 4, 2016
Richie Ryder Raymond is leaving the school for blind children and heading to public school. His wit and intelligence serve him well and are his complete downfall. He turns everything into a joke and pushes away anyone who might offer help and support.
Some nice lessons about giving people a second chance and being honest with yourself.
(I guess you could call this a sequel to A Blind Guide to Stinkville, but it really stands alone.)
Source: ARC from publisher
Some nice lessons about giving people a second chance and being honest with yourself.
(I guess you could call this a sequel to A Blind Guide to Stinkville, but it really stands alone.)
Source: ARC from publisher
December 27, 2016
I adored Blind Guide to Stinkville, but really struggled to get through 100 pages of this. I didn't connect with the narrator, which is probably why I left this sitting on my nightstand untouched for almost a month.
October 12, 2016
https://randombookmuses.com/2016/10/1...
The publisher provided an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
The publisher provided an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 7, 2021
WOWOWOWOWOWOW
November 25, 2020
This book has soo many hard issues for a middle grade novel. It follows Ritchie Ryder whose parents treat him as an afterthought as their careers require them to spend extended periods of time researching in weird places. He is a cancer survivor, living with his grandfather who he has hardly met. Themes of grief, anger, death of a child, lots of cancer, and mental health were all liberally sprinkled with some of the most ridiculous puns ever. Although my husband coined this - “the most depressing book ever, I can’t believe you are reading this to our children,” they were enraptured with Richie’s tale.
August 9, 2017
I really liked this book. I thought each of the characters' voices were very true. Unfortunately the adults were more like TV sitcom caricatures. Luckily the story is 90% about the kids, and oh so enjoyable.
March 21, 2019
I really like this book! It has such a great story surrounding it. I would recommend for any age, saying that I know the author living in my community, I feel so lucky! This book really makes me smile! You have to read this!
April 7, 2020
An excellent follow-up to the first Blind Guide, this one deals with different issues. Ryder needs to come to terms with his past and so do others around him. While his vision impairment is significant to the story, the struggles Ryder faces are typical of any young adolescent.
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